


sly as foxes in the field

by gotham_ruaidh



Series: Gotham Writes for Imagine Claire & Jamie [92]
Category: Outlander (TV), Outlander Series - Diana Gabaldon
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 19:14:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15564588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gotham_ruaidh/pseuds/gotham_ruaidh
Summary: Imagine Jamie and Claire introduced Brianna to the people of Castle Leoch - especially, Colum and Dougal...





	sly as foxes in the field

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted at [Imagine Claire & Jamie](https://imagineclaireandjamie.tumblr.com/post/176626236519/imagine-jamie-and-claire-introduced-brianna-to-the) on tumblr

“Is there any more bread, Sassenach?”

Claire peered into the covered basket, then shook her head. “Looks like that’s it.”

“I can make some more tomorrow,” Brianna mumbled around a mouthful of venison. “I think I’m starting to get the hang of it.”

“What do ye mean, lass?” Jamie turned to his daughter – no longer such a stranger, but still so unknown to him. “Who’s to hang?”

Bree smiled as she took a gulp of cider. “It means that I’m getting used to it. I made bread a few times, when I was growing up – I had a friend whose mom was really into baking at home. It’s a bit different here, without an electric oven. But it’s gotten easier every time.”

Jamie sat back a bit, watching his women eat. Not for the first time, he wished that he had had years of meals with them – thousands of suppers, and breakfasts, and holiday meals.

Ach. No need to get all wound up about it – better appreciate what was here, now, in front of him.

“Do you know, Da – when we were at River Run, for breakfast we had four different types of bread to choose from. Four!”

Jamie nodded. “That’s Jocasta for you. Why have one when ye can have four?”

Claire snorted. “She probably did it to entice you to stay.”

“What do you mean?” Bree frowned. “She knew that I wanted to come here – to be with you, Mama. You and Da.”

“What yer Mam means is that Jocasta would never ask you anything outright.” Jamie cut into a potato. “She would only drop hints – enough hints to convince ye to act according to what she wanted ye to do. To stay there, at her house, where ye would be taken care of – rather than here in the back woods. She tried doing that wi’ me, soon after we arrived – thank God I picked up on the signs before it went too far.”

“Your father has a lot of personal experience with MacKenzies. As different as they may appear – they’re all the same on the inside.”

“My Mam, though – ”

“Don’t tell me she didn’t know what she was doing with your father,” Claire interrupted. “Of course she loved him – but you *know* she ran off with him to spite her brothers.”

Jamie could only smile at that and shake his head.

“What were they like?” Bree turned to Jamie. “Can you tell me more about them?”

“Who? My parents?”

“No – my…uncles. Colum and…?”

“Dougal,” Claire spat. “I’m glad you never met either of them.”

“*Claire,*” Jamie hissed. “Ye canna speak ill of the dead like that. They’re my *blood* - and Brianna’s, too.”

Claire set down her fork, eyes narrowed at her husband. “Of course I can speak ill of them. Dougal tried to kill you – and Colum tried to have me killed, at the witch trial. Never mind the fact that Dougal tried to rape me, and then to forcibly marry me – and then he tried to kill you again, before Culloden.”

“What?” Brianna’s eyes flew between her parents. “But I don’t understand – you’re family.”

“It didna matter to them,” Jamie sighed. “How much do ye know about the clans, *a nighean*, and how it all worked?”

“Very little, I’m sad to say. Just what I learned from reading Daddy’s books.”

Claire’s eyes darted to Jamie’s; she saw the half-second flinch in the muscles of his neck, but knew that Brianna wouldn’t have. Praise God.

“Weel…” Now Jamie sat back in his chair. “Succession in clans wasna like in a monarchy – where the king’s son becomes king. Rather, often new chief was chosen from among a group of his kinsmen.”

Bree’s brows raised in surprise. “So did they want you to be the heir, then? But you had Lallybroch.”

“Aye. Smart lass.”

Claire reached across the table, gently laying her hand atop Jamie’s. “Colum’s son Hamish – well, technically Dougal’s son – ”

“Do I even want to know?” Bree smiled.

“You don’t. But anyway – when I arrived at Leoch, Hamish was just about ten. Too young to be considered for the succession. Dougal always wanted to lead the clan – but Colum was shrewd. He knew that Dougal had the brawn, but not the brains. He wanted Jamie to be his successor.”

“Because he also would have gotten Lallybroch. Right?”

Jamie smiled. “Right. And I wasna about to give it to him – my Da would have rolled over in his grave.”

Bree furrowed her brow – looking so much like Jamie. “But I don’t understand – why would Dougal want to kill you? Or harm Mama?”

“He was a bully. Never liked to hear the word No. And we both said no to him, many times.”

“He wanted me out of the way, so that he could become chief of the clan. And he wanted yer Mam – in the way that a man wants a woman. Damn the consequences.”

Brianna sighed. “And you think Jocasta will be like them? Like her brothers?”

“I know she is. I’ve seen it – yer Mam and I, *we’ve* seen it. She’s more like Colum than Dougal – but she also doesna like to hear the word No.”

Brianna considered this for a long moment.

“Do you know what, Da?”

“What, *mo chridhe*?”

Brianna darted a quick glance at Claire. “I don’t think you like to hear the word No, either.”

Jamie opened his mouth to protest – but had nothing to say as Claire burst into laughter.


End file.
